Soldier Ruslan Hryhoriev, call sign HRYHOR

My name is Ruslan Hryhoriev, call sign HRYHOR. I served in the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade named after Koshovyi Otaman Ivan Sirko. I have been a career military officer since 2021, having chosen military service out of patriotic motives. I performed combat missions in various directions.

On July 30, 2023, during an assault, I was injured by an enemy booby trap and sustained severe injuries, including a gunshot fracture of the pelvis, internal organ damage, and traumatic amputation of the upper left limb, among others. I experienced traumatic shock of the second degree.

The injury occurred near the settlement of Kurdyumivka in the Donetsk region during our unit's assault actions. We stormed and cleared the first positions of the enemy, and while advancing further, I triggered the booby trap.

There was a loud explosion, and I felt excruciating pain in my arm area, immediately applying a tourniquet. In other areas where shrapnel hit, such as my side and back, I couldn't do anything myself because only one arm was functional, and I couldn't provide self-aid in those zones. But my comrades quickly understood the situation and didn't hesitate! My comrade and close friend with the call sign TARIK provided immediate assistance. After that, the guys carried me out of the combat zone, and an evacuation vehicle took me away.

Throughout the ordeal, I felt calm because I understood my situation and, thanks to many factors, I was alive and on my way to the hospital. Then I lost consciousness. The first hospital was in Druzhkivka, Donetsk region, followed by a year of treatment in various medical facilities and rehabilitation centers.

When I learned about the amputation, I was naturally very upset. But, recalling all I had done, the risks and threats always present, and what I had endured, I realized I was somewhat lucky—I survived! So I accepted it because I need to move forward, and the past cannot be changed.

I received support from family, friends, and comrades. Volunteers were always actively helping, able to provide anything needed promptly. I am sincerely grateful to them. I extend my heartfelt thanks to the doctors, physical therapists, and rehabilitation specialists who have worked and continue to work with me. They are incredible professionals who helped me recover from such a severe injury.

Currently, I am beginning the path of prosthetics. I need a bionic prosthesis with the BEBIONIC EQD hand. This hand is one of the best in the field of prosthetics and will provide me with sufficient functionality and convenience. However, state funds are insufficient to cover the cost of the selected prosthesis. Therefore, I need additional funds from charitable contributions!

I am already making plans for the future: I want to recover, get the prosthesis, travel to see the world, take a moral break from all this, and find myself in civilian life.

 

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COLLECTED AND TRANSFERRED: UAH 200,783.54

 

Thanks to the support of caring individuals, we successfully raised funds for prosthetic surgery for Ruslan’s upper limb!

A special thank you to Mykhailo Hanchuk, who opened a fundraising account in honor of his birthday, and to Dmytro Morkotonov, who completed a charity run at a marathon in the UK.

The prosthesis has already been paid for, and the remaining funds have been allocated to other important causes. Thank you to everyone who contributed — you are giving our defenders hope and the chance to live a full life!